[NFBMD] Proposed article about my experience in Annapolis

[Shawn Jacobson]

Sharon/Ronza
I am writing to show you an article I wrote about this year's daay in Annapolis.  I would like for you to look it over and let me know if you think it would be suitable for the Braille Spectator/Braille Monitor.
I understand that everyone is busy, so there is no rush at this end.
Thanks in advance, and see you at convention.
Shawn
Shawn Jacobson
sdj60259 at aol.com


Adventurein Annapolis
by Shawn Jacobson

We stand atthe entrance to the Lowe office building waiting for someone to open thedoor.  Please let us in, we say to a ladyentering the building.

Yes, we hadawakened early to assure that we were on time. In my case, it was before 4:30 AM. My wife and I got to the meeting place for our group at the New CaroltonMetro stop, the Amtrak lounge, just before 6:30 and the van soon arrived totake us to Annapolis for a day of talking to legislators about our issues.

For me, preparationbegan three days ago.  On Monday, we hadtwo conference calls.  The first, forteam leaders covered team logistics such as when you took photographs withlegislators, who to send them to, and what hash tag you should use.  We also discussed how the team report shouldbe given.

The meetingfor all team members covered the issues we planned to discuss as well as thingspeople needed for Annapolis.  A photo IDwas needed to admit people to the office building.  Also, business attire was required since thiswas a business environment.

I made sureto find my sport coat, tie, tie clip, and good shirt were to be found.  This requires some effort since I am retiredand do not go into an office on a daily basis.

One moreact of preparation was needed.  I neededto bring a small bag of candy in case someone on my team had an insulinreaction.  My experience told me thatsuch things were a possibility to guard against.  With these advanced preparations, I feltready for the day.

Soon wewere admitted security agreed to process our early group of advocates.  Once we passed through security, we walkedthe short distance to the Judiciary committee room.  Being early allowed us to pick out choiceseats as we waited for the work of the day to begin.

On the wayto Annapolis, those of us who were team leaders got our team assignments.  I would have four team members to leadthrough the day including one member who was our dedicated photo taker.  Now, I sought out my team as I waited for myteam’s bag with its folders.

Each legislatorgets one folder.  On the right side ofthe folder is a miscellaneous collection of items we want to give people whoshould understand blindness issues.  This includes the courtesy rules of blindness, a form for ourscholarship program, and one of our Kernal books.  The left side contains the fact sheet for ourissues.

This yearwe have six issues.  One request is foran increase in the property tax exemption for blind people.  Another is to pass a bill that will allow theuse and testing of autonomous vehicles; this will solve our issues withdiscrimination from rideshare drivers. We also are asking the legislature to keep our appropriation to ourCenter for Excellence in Non-visual Access. Even though there is a deficit, I’mhopeful that this will be supported, partially because legislators used thiscenter in the past when they sought braille business cards and other braillematerials.

The otherthree issues involved setting up a commission to study ways to make voting bymail both accessible and secure, setting up a grant program for service animaltrainers, and providing braille, or tactile, flags for veteran cemeteries.  While thinking of the issues, I hear my namecalled; my bag is ready.

 I wondered what the schedule would be.  I wanted to prepare myself for our travels, thebest way to make it through our assigned offices with a minimum walking.  I look through my bag to see what my scheduleis, but I don’t see one.

“Where ismy schedule? I ask.

“It’scoming,” says Ronza, our state president.

Sureenough, I get a folder with a schedule of the offices I’m supposed to visit.

In previousyears, the hour between 9:00 and 10:00 AM was the busiest hour formeetings.  But now, the heaviest time formeetings is 11:00 AM to noon.  Myschedule shows that our first meeting is at 9:30 and our second is at10:00.  At the bottom of the list, I seethree senators with a “0” for our meeting time. These are legislators for whom we were not able to set up a time.  Since it is a while before our first scheduledappointment, I decided to try getting some of these unscheduled appointmentsset up.  Early and often is my rule forvisiting such offices.

In the nexttwo hours, we are able to have four meetings, but none with the actualsenator.  One aid, in an office with a“0” appointment time, barely listens to us; he seems to want us out the door assoon as possible.  The other three aidswe talk about are pleasant enough, but it is hard to know if that means thatthe legislator will be supportive.

Our thirdscheduled meeting takes us from the James building, where most senators have offices,to the Miller building, where committee chairs and some other senatorswork.  “It’s Miller Time” I joke as wehead to our next appointment.

We arescheduled to have meetings with three senators and three delegates between10:45 and 11:30, but we only get to talk to aids.  Currently, I prompt team members to speak toour requests.  I don’t want to talk allthe time.  Also, I believe that a goodleader involves the whole team if possible. Our shared presentation results in polite responses from the aids, but,again, it is hard to know just where their legislator will stand on our issues.

We see ourfirst, and only, senator when we return to the James building for a noonmeeting.  Senator Benson has always beenone of our great friends, so we are glad to see her.  I judge it worth the wait for her to inviteus into her office.

Once wetalk, the senator peruses our folder. Then she gets excited.

“I didn’trealize you had a scholarship program,” she exclaims.  She then starts asking us how we fund the program,and we discuss our fundraisers.

“Whyhaven’t you told us about these fundraisers before,” she asks.  “We should all know about them.”

After alengthy meeting, we get her support on all our issues.  The next meeting is set for 12:30 in theMiller building.  By the time we get tothe appointment, we are 30-minutes late, and we miss the senator who has to runto a committee meeting.  Oh well, we getto talk to her aide.  One more meeting,with an aide, and it is time for lunch.

We get tothe cantina just before 2:00 expecting to be behind the lunch rush.  However, we find the place crowded withmembers of other teams who also have a lengthy break before their nextmeeting.  I settle in to get my lunchbeing grateful that we only have two meetings left, one scheduled for 4:00 PMand one that is yet to be scheduled.

After lunchand rest, we get to our last meetings. The first of these is with one of the Senators with whom we did not havea set time.  The senator will be busy allday, so we settle for talking to an aide. Then, we reach the office where our final appointment is scheduled onlyto find that the senator has gone to her daughter’s track meet.  And so, we end our day of advocacy with onemore cheerful, but noncommittal, aide.  Ihave our designated photographer text the rest of the teams that we have finished,and we head to where an NFB van will take us to supper.

Buddy’s,the restaurant where our evening meal will happen, sits atop a jewelrystore.  When we leave the van, we aredirected to the door and up the stairs to our dining area.  It provides a view of the harbor, but wedon’t stop to look.

After agood meal, I had the cheeseburger and cream of crab soup, we got down to thereal purpose of our group meal.  Thismain purpose is for each of the team leaders to report on their advocacy.

Because ourschedule this year is ambitious, we usually don’t have six issues, the teamreports run long.  We are supposed torank each legislator from one to five, five being the most favorable rating, oneach of the issues.  We are also supposedto say who we think will co-sponsor the bills that require co-sponsors.

My reportfeels weak, we only met with one senator. Also, I did not always get the names of the aids we talked to.  I explained that I prioritized talking topeople over getting the names of aids. Leaders must prioritize these things though my prioritization is notalways the best.  Finally, with a greatdeal of relief, I end my report and thank my team members.  I called my wife to pick me up at therestaurant.  Finally, almost eighteenhours after I got out of bed, we returned home. The Annapolis adventure is over for another year.

Lookingback, I think that the day was worthwhile. We did not get to see as many legislators as I would have hoped, but ineach office, we talked to someone about our issues.  What may be even more important, we showedpeople in Annapolis how competent blind folk can work together to put on ahighly complex program of information on blindness issues.  This may be the most lasting, and mostworthwhile, thing we accomplished.

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